Nonlethal weapons are gaining popularity as options to elicit a desired behavior or action in modern military warfare, law enforcement and crowd control. As an example, military methods employing psychological operations that include dissemination of leaflets, handbills, posters, TV, loudspeaker broadcasts, radio, etc, have been considered one of the primary force multipliers in modern warfare that achieve enemy surrenders, clear main supply/transportation avenues, disperse crowds or provide information. While psychological operations are generally limited to an opposing force, it can be also used to achieve higher morale, focus, and aptitude in teams, groups, or students. As identified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,916; by administering a mixed-floral odorant to an individual or group, their ability to learn a new task, perform analysis, and general concentration was enhanced. While memory of the odorant was not the mechanism portrayed in the patent, other memory-recall odorants have the potential to change behavior, particularly if complemented with a coordinated audio-visual scheme.
It is well known that various odorants can elicit potent psychological and physiological responses. The olfactory nerve is the primary location responsible for recognition and perception of odors. Additionally, memory and life experiences that identify with the odorant have the potential to cause someone to change their behavior or mental state.
Based on the capacity to modify behavior with odorants, only malodorants have been considered as potential non-lethal weapons. This is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,032 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,113, which describes the exclusive use of stenches to bring about a desired behavior, there is a fundamental need for non-repulsive odorant compositions and their dissemination means. Additionally, these odorants must have no permanent negative or harmful impact on the target individual, audience, or the environment after dissemination of the odorant.